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2017 Seahawks free agency primer

March 7, 2017

Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM

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Exclusive rights free agents (ERFA)

Exclusive rights free agents are players whose contracts have expired and who have accumulated less than three overall seasons of NFL tenure. The Seahawks have eight ERFA's in 2017: running backs Troymaine Pope (above) and Terrence Magee, fullback Brandon Cottom, wide receiver Kasen Williams, defensive end Tavaris Barnes, cornerback Stanely Jean-Baptise and long snappers Nolan Frese and Tyler Ott. Teams must make a "Minimum Salary Tender" (qualifying offer) before a league deadline or the players become unrestricted free agents with no compensation to the original team if they sign elsewhere. That deadline this year is 1 p.m. Pacific on March 9. less

Exclusive rights free agents (ERFA)

Exclusive rights free agents are players whose contracts have expired and who have accumulated less than three overall seasons of NFL tenure. The Seahawks have eight ERFA's in ... more

Restricted free agents are players with more than three but less than four years of accumulated league experience. The Seahawks have seven RFAs in 2017, including cornerback DeShawn Shead (above). Clubs are allowed to extend tenders to these players that give the player a one-year contract offer at a specific level of compensation determined by the league’s collective bargaining agreement in exchange for allowing the team seven days to match any other club’s offer. If a player doesn’t receive a qualifying offer, he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The deadline for RFA tenders is also 1 p.m. Pacific on March 9. less

Restricted free agents (RFA)

Restricted free agents are players with more than three but less than four years of accumulated league experience. The Seahawks have seven RFAs in 2017, including cornerback DeShawn ... more

Restricted free agents like safety Steven Terrell (above) can be offered tenders at three levels: A first-round tender, a second-round tender and an original-round tender. A first-round tender offers the player the highest salary while also requiring any other team interested in the player to give up a first-round draft pick as compensation for signing him. The second-round tender offers a lower salary and a second-round pick as compensation. The original-round tender offers the lowest salary and requires draft pick compensation equal to the round in which the player was originally selected.

Restricted free agents like safety Steven Terrell (above) can be offered tenders at three levels: A first-round tender, a second-round tender and an original-round tender. A first-round tender ... more

After a team tenders a RFA, like they reportedly did with tackle Garry Gilliam earlier this week, a few things can happen. If the player signs the offer sheet from his original team, he rejoins the team on a one-year deal. If he signs an offer sheet from another team, the original team can match and bring the player back or not. If not, the team will receive a compensatory draft pick based on the qualifying offer. Finally, the tender can act as a basis for negotiation on a long-term deal or possible trade. The deadline for players to sign an offer sheet this year is April 21. Along with Shead, Terrell and Gilliam, the other Seahawks RFAs are linebackers Brock Coyle and Ronald Powell, cornerback Mohammed Seisay and safety Dewey McDonald. less

RFAs (continued ... again) After a team tenders a RFA, like they... Photo-9036440.142156 - seattlepi.com

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Unrestricted free agents (UFAs)

Unrestricted free agents are exactly what they sound like: Players who have no limits on their movement from team to team. This is where franchises spend big to lure star players, and the results can change a team's fortunes for better or worse. One of Seattle’s best unrestricted free-agent signings came before the 1997 season, when they ponied up big money for former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Chad Brown. Brown racked up 743 tackles, 48 sacks and two more Pro Bowl appearances in eight seasons with the Seahawks. less

Unrestricted free agents (UFAs)

Unrestricted free agents are exactly what they sound like: Players who have no limits on their movement from team to team. This is where franchises spend big to lure star players, ... more

Of course, free-agent deals don't always work out for the team or the player. Cornerback Nate Odomes was a fixture for the great Buffalo Bills defenses of the late 80s and early 90s, picking off a league-high nine passes in 1993 -- his second-straight Pro Bowl season. That earned him a four-year, $8.4 million contract from the Seahawks in 1994. But Odomes suffered a serious knee injury prior to the season, then reinjured the knee in rehab. He never played a down for Seattle after what was inarguably the worst free-agent contract in team history. less

UFAs (continued)

Of course, free-agent deals don't always work out for the team or the player. Cornerback Nate Odomes was a fixture for the great Buffalo Bills defenses of the late 80s and early 90s, picking off ... more

The Seahawks haven't been huge players in free agency under GM John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll, choosing instead to build through the draft if possible. Their recent forays into the market have been a mixed bag. Defensive ends Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril helped put Seattle over the top after they signed what turned out to be bargain-basement deals prior to the 2013 season. But the team's signings of cornerback Cary Williams and tackle J'Marcus Webb (above) the last two offseasons didn't work out after neither made it through his initial season with the team. less

UFAs (continued ... again)

The Seahawks haven't been huge players in free agency under GM John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll, choosing instead to build through the draft if possible. Their recent forays ... more

The Seahawks lost players like wide receiver Golden Tate, cornerback Byron Maxwell, linebacker Bruce Irvin, defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, guard J.R. Sweezy and tackle Russell Okung as unrestricted free agent departures over the last couple of offseasons. This year, there aren't a lot of big names with expiring contracts, with kicker Stephen Hauschka (above) being the most prominent. Seattle looks ready to move on from the most accurate kicker in franchise history after signing former Vikings Pro Bowler Blair Walsh in January.

In addition to Hauschka, here's the full list of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents this offseason: fullbacks Marcel Reece and Will Tukuafu, tight ends Luke Willson (above) ... more

Photo: GENNA MARTIN

UFAs (continued ... one last time) In addition to Hauschka,... Photo-11838311.142156 - seattlepi.com

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Franchise players

Devised as a way for teams to keep their very best players, the “exclusive rights” franchise tag enables a team to keep players off the open market in exchange for a one-year deal at the average of the top-five salaries at his position for the upcoming season (or 120 percent of his previous year’s salary, whichever is greater). Each team may designate only one player per season prior to a league-imposed deadline (this year it was March 1), though teams are not required to tag anyone if they don’t want to. The last Seahawks player to receive the franchise tag was kicker Olindo Mare (above) in 2010. less

Franchise players

Devised as a way for teams to keep their very best players, the “exclusive rights” franchise tag enables a team to keep players off the open market in exchange for a one-year deal at the ... more

Photo: Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images

Franchise players Devised as a way for teams to keep their very... Photo-7598211.142156 - seattlepi.com

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Franchise players (continued)

Players slapped with the “non-exclusive rights” franchise tag -- like Seattle’s Marcus Trufant was in 2008 -- demand a slightly lower contract requirement than the "exclusive rights" tag: a one-year deal at the average of the top-five salaries at his position for the previous season. The tradeoff is that the player may negotiate potential contract offers with other teams. However, the compensation for bringing in another team’s franchise player should the original team choose not to match -- two first-round draft picks -- is nearly always too prohibitive to make a deal. less

Franchise players (continued)

Players slapped with the “non-exclusive rights” franchise tag -- like Seattle’s Marcus Trufant was in 2008 -- demand a slightly lower contract requirement than the "exclusive ... more

The Seahawks didn't tag anybody on Monday, but it's possible they could use the tag next year for a player like tight end Jimmy Graham (above) should the sides not reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension before next offseason. Players can be franchised for a maximum of two years in a row, with the second year requiring a salary at least a 10 percent higher than the first season or at the average of the top-five players at the position, whichever is higher. less

Franchise players (continued ... again)

The Seahawks didn't tag anybody on Monday, but it's possible they could use the tag next year for a player like tight end Jimmy Graham (above) should the sides not reach ... more

The transition tag is like the non-exclusive franchise tag, only completely different. Transition players are offered a one-year deal at the average salary of the 10 (not five) highest-paid players at a position (or, like the franchise tag, 120 percent of the player’s previous year's salary), and the player is free to negotiate with other teams. If he receives an offer that isn’t matched by the player’s original squad, that original team receives nothing in compensation. The most famous transition tag case in NFL history involved former Seattle guard Steve Hutchinson. less

Transition players

The transition tag is like the non-exclusive franchise tag, only completely different. Transition players are offered a one-year deal at the average salary of the 10 (not five) highest-paid ... more

Seattle lost the five-time All-Pro with no compensation in 2006 after the offer sheet from the Minnesota Vikings included several “poison pill” provisions that made it almost impossible for the Seahawks to match, thanks to some crafty work from the Vikings' front office and Hutchinson's agent. The transition tag has gone out of style after that and Seattle’s corresponding move to get Minnesota receiver Nate Burleson. Miami pass rusher Olivier Vernon was the only player to receive a transition tag this offseason, making it the second offseason in a row in which the Dolphins were the only team to use the mechanism. less

Transition players (continued)

Seattle lost the five-time All-Pro with no compensation in 2006 after the offer sheet from the Minnesota Vikings included several “poison pill” provisions that made it almost ... more

Undrafted free agents are another thing altogether, but we’ll throw them in the mix. If a player’s rights aren’t controlled by a team after he makes himself eligible for the draft – April 27-29 this year – he may sign with whichever team he chooses. The Seahawks have several undrafted free agents in key roles, including running back Thomas Rawls (above), wide receivers Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse and tackle George Fant. less

Undrafted free agents (UDFA)

Undrafted free agents are another thing altogether, but we’ll throw them in the mix. If a player’s rights aren’t controlled by a team after he makes himself eligible for the ... more